The Stud, San Francisco's oldest gay bar, is closing its doors due to the coronavirus pandemic
San Francisco's oldest gay bar, The Stud, announced Wednesday it is closing its doors due to lack of revenue as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite a fundraiser and weekly online drag shows, the historic bar at 399 Ninth St. was unable to stay afloat, CBS SF Bay Area reports.
"It was a very difficult decision to make," said Honey Mahogany, one of the co-owners.
She said, however, there's still a chance the bar can find a new home and reopen its doors in the future.
The Stud, around since 1966, is one of the country's most iconic bars and has been at its current location since 1987. It plans to hold a "drag funeral" on May 31 to honor the bar and it's legacy.
Supervisor Matt Haney and state Sen. Scott Weiner will join Mahogany and the bar's other owners, Vivianne Forevermore! and Rachel Ryan, to discuss the closure at a press conference at 2 p.m. on Thursday.
California issued a statewide stay-at-home order on March 19, requiring non-essential businesses to close in an effort to fight the spread of COVID-19.
The state moved into "Stage 2" of reopening this month, "where retail (curbside and delivery only), related logistics and manufacturing, office workplaces, limited personal services, outdoor museums, child care, and essential businesses can open with modifications," according to the governor's office.
"We recognize the impact of economic hardship," it says. "We must get our economy roaring once again and put paychecks in people's pockets. But the risk of COVID-19 infection is still real for all Californians and continues to be fatal."